One person from Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State is reported to have been infected with monkey pox, Straightnews has confirmed.
An undisclosed source in the state Ministry of Health said the patient is lying critically ill in St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua in Uyo.
Earlier in a telephone interview Saturday with Atlantic FM Radio, Uyo, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, the state Commissioner for Health, had confirmed that one person was infected with the virus, but he did not mention the location.
But in a press release on Saturday evening, Charles Udoh, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, also confirmed that one person was infected with the virus while two cases were under investigation.
Similar cases of such outbreak were reported in Bayelsa, Cross River and River States last week. In Bayelsa, 13 persons were reported to have been infected; in Cross River, two and in Rivers, two were infected with monkey pox, a viral disease transmitted from wild animals to humans.
Meanwhile, some medical experts have warned people against eating bush meat and avoiding excessive handshake.